Kish hosts floral design expert for student demonstration

Terri Jacobsen, a horticulture student at Kishwaukee College, works on assembling an arrangement during a demonstration hosted by guest designer Trisha Locke. Locke offered a lecture and demonstration as part of the Artist In Residence (AIR) program offered by the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).

The Kishwaukee College Floral Design department hosted guest designer Trisha Locke AIFD CFD ICPF on Tuesday, March 30, as part of the Artist In Residence (AIR) program offered through the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).

Locke presented a virtual lecture to students in Associate Professor of Horticulture Janet Gallagher’s Floral Design class. The lecture covered different types of designs and techniques used to make floral arrangements. She also led a demonstration showcasing the techniques, which allowed the students to create their own landscape designs.

“I liked how Trisha was so organized. I learned how to use sticks differently in my spring arrangements by turning them into a fence,” said Kish Horticulture Student Sierrah Anderson.

Kishwaukee College is one of only 13 colleges in the nation with a Student AIFD chapter. The AIR program is offered through the AIFD to bring together industry professionals and floral design students at colleges and universities that have Student AIFD chapters. Anderson said resources like these made Kish’s Horticulture Program the best option for pursuing her career goals.

“Kishwaukee offered the horticulture program, while the other community colleges near me didn't. I really enjoy the community that the staff and students have created,” Anderson said.

With nearly three decades of experience in the floral industry, Locke currently does freelance work for florists while running her own business called Locke Floral Studio in Champaign, Ill. She also helped start the floral program at Parkland College in Champaign and taught as an instructor. Currently, Locke is an accredited member of the AIFD, an AIFD certified judge, a member of the Illinois State Florists’ Association (ISFA) and an Illinois Certified Professional Florist (ICPF). She has earned Designer of the Year and Designer of the Year 1st Runner Up in the ISFA’s annual contest.

For more information on the Floral Design Program at Kishwaukee College, visit www.kish.edu/horticulture. For more information on the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), visit www.aifd.org.